Streets of Misfortune
by GreyKestrel
Summary: While Gotham deals with the aftermath of the disaster that was Arkham City, Robin is left to deal with not only his own problems but a Batman who seems to have lost his purpose.
1. Prologue: City of the Damned

**Streets of Misfortune**

_**AN:**__ So, my first ever foray into writing for the Batman universe and let me begin by saying there will be SPOILERS for Arkham City. This fic will be set post-game and will make reference to many of the main story events so for goodness sake please don't read this yet if you haven't finished the game and don't want the ending spoiled._

_Secondly, character selection is a little bit misleading (since there is no Arkham City section and characters from Arkham City haven't been added here). This will mostly be a Tim Drake/Robin centric piece with secondary characters including Bruce Wayne/Batman, Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Vicki Vale, possibly an OC or two, etc._

_Anyway, enough jabbering from me. Here's the prologue, hope you enjoy reading and reviews, as always, are much appreciated :)_

**Prologue: City of the Damned**

Arkham City was an abomination that should have never come into existence. Many Gothamites had agreed Arkham City should have never been more than plans on paper. Unfortunately there were a handful of people, the right sort of people, who supported the campaign for Arkham City. Before Gotham knew it eviction notices were being handed out and a twenty-five foot metal wall was cordoning off a small section of Gotham's North.

An abomination, Robin reflected, even more so than it's predecessor, Arkham Asylum.

This night had been a night of chaos. First Bruce Wayne was thrown into the very prison he was protesting against right in front of the public eye. Things had picked up when Alfred had been able to get the Batsuit to Bruce inside Arkham but Batman's later announcement that the Joker had poisoned him had thrown everyone for a loop. By the time Robin had made it through the subterranean tunnel that was his own personal entrance to Arkham City, Batman's health was on the decline. Robin had arrived just in time to prevent him from being cut to ribbons by Talia's assassins, only to be sent away again with nothing more than a vial of blood as a souvenir.

Robin hadn't been too happy about that but he trusted that Batman knew what he was doing. He usually did, why should this time be any different. Still, he had Oracle keep him updated on events. Partially so he was kept in the loop, mostly so he could rant his frustrations to the night whenever Batman took ridiculous risks. When he'd finally dropped off the vial of blood and checked in with the major Gotham hospitals, Robin turned right back around and began the journey to Arkham City once again.

Batman's instructions be damned, he wasn't about to let Bruce deal with the aftermath of Arkham City and the Joker alone.


	2. Streets of Inquiry

**Streets of Misfortune**

_**AN:**__ Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the prologue. It was a very encouraging response to such a short starting chapter! Also, props to _you _Tea for recognizing the inspiration for the title :D Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter one :)_

**Chapter 1: Streets of Inquiry**

Gotham City was notorious for it's high, bordering on ridiculous, crime rates, and that was before super villains began popping out of the woodwork. It seemed that for every thug, petty criminal, or mob boss that was taken off the streets two more were there to replace them the night after. On the ground it was easy to see the moral degradation that plagued Gotham. It was an entirely different story from the sky.

Jumping between rooftops and swinging high above the streets on his grapnel line it was easy for Robin to forget about all of the bad. Up here he was just a kid in a costume living out every boy's hero fantasy, but soon that fantasy was going to have to come to an end. He had a job to do after all.

Dropping down to a rooftop a little closer to the ground, Robin took a moment to pause and tap the button on his earpiece communicator. "It's me, O. What's the latest on Batman?" Oracle's reply was practically instantaneous and Robin walked slowly to the edge of the rooftop as he listened to her update.

"_All the major players are out of the game but he's insisting there's more work he has to do. Always Gotham's dark knight..._"

"I know what you mean," Robin replied, eyes searching Gotham's skyline until they came to rest on the still burning husk of Wonder Tower a couple of blocks away. He hadn't seen the actual explosion but Oracle had filled him in on all the glorious details. If Batman didn't end up killing himself tonight Robin was sure to do so when he finally found him. Sometimes he had to wonder who was looking after whom in their weird father/son, mentor/student relationship. "Look, I'm almost back at Arkham. I'll talk to him once I'm there."

Oracle's relief was almost palpable over the comm as Robin shot off the grapnel gun once again. "_Thank you. I swear, that man just does not know how to listen to reason some times._"

"That's the Batman for you," Robin said, swinging across to the fire escape of a nearby building. There was once a time, long ago, where conversing with their communications queen and traveling through the city at dangerous heights was a challenge. These days it was practically second nature. "Though I do wonder if he sometimes turns the comm link off without telling us. It would help explain his clear disregard for all our concern."

Oracle's laugh in his ear made Robin smile. "_Do we have another contender for the world's greatest detective? I think you might be on to something with that._"

"Alright, O, I'm on location," Robin said, perching on the corner of an old apartment building just outside Arkham City's main entrance. "It wouldn't have gotten any easier to get inside since the last time I was here by any chance?"

"_Sorry Boy Wonder, looks like you've lucked out._"

"O-kay. I'll just head back to the tunnel, make my way..." Robin trailed off as he became aware of the sounds of an argument on the street below. Curious, he focused in on the source of the commotion that appeared to stem from a Tyger guard and young auburn haired woman.

"_Robin? You still there?_"

"I'm here Oracle. Just... there's something going on down at the main gate."

"_What kind of something?_"

"I'm not sure yet," Robin replied, shifting position to try and get a better view of the situation. Neither of the two arguing parties seemed very happy, and as he continued to listen in Robin soon became privy as to why.

"Look, ma'am," the Tyger guard said, sounding quite exasperated, "there's nothing we can do to help so why don't you head home."

"I don't think you're listening to me," the young woman replied, sounding equally tired of the conversation. "My boss- my friend- could quite possibly be stuck inside this so called 'prison'," here she used air quotes to emphasize her skepticism, "and you're just going to stand there and do nothing?"

"Ma'am, it's my job to 'stand here and do nothing'," the guard replied, eyes fixed in a vacant stare at something over the young woman's head. Robin got the feeling that had this guard not been so stuck on protocol he would have been using some air quotations of his own.

"And you can't, perhaps, call someone else and get them to check for me? They funneled millions of dollars into this place, I'd like to think they spared at least a few bucks for a communications system." Despite the menacing glare being directed his way the Tyger guard seemed unfazed.

"Ma'am, Arkham City is full of criminals. Everyone who's in there deserves to be."

"I'm not talking about a prisoner, I'm talking about Vicki Vale!" the young woman exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. Robin could relate, he felt the same way when talking to Batman sometimes. "Award winning journalist, host of a nighttime talk show, that Vicki Vale! Last anyone heard from her she was in a helicopter over Arkham City. All I'm asking is that you send someone out to make sure she's okay."

"I don't have the authority to do that."

"Of course you don't! Why am I not surprised?"

"What's going on over here?" a third voice rang out, that of a second guard. Despite facing down two heavily harmed Tyger guards now, the young woman held her ground. Not that she should have had anything to worry about. As far as Robin could tell she appeared to be just your regular law abiding citizen making some inquiries. "Look, little girl," the second Tyger guard said when he reached the pair, "it's not our job to stand here a listen to you complain all night."

"I can handle this, Terry," the first guard said.

Terry rolled his eyes at the first guard and turned back to the young woman. "This ain't no place for a gal like you to be hanging around so why don't you just be on your way, huh?"

"I'm not leaving-" the young woman was cut off abruptly by Terry, who appeared to lack both patience and manners.

"Oh, and if you don't leave of your own accord we have the authority to forcibly remove you from the vicinity of Arkham City's wall. Security reasons and all that."

For the first time since arriving Robin saw the young woman's demeanor falter slightly. The two Tyger guards noticed it also, if the smug grin on Terry's face was any indication.

"Fine," the young woman said. Turning on her heel she walked briskly away, only to stop suddenly and turn back to the two guards. "Don't be surprised if there's a scathing review in the Gazette tomorrow about Arkham's new security force."

"I'll cut it out and pin it up in the break room," Terry replied with a laugh. He slapped the first guard heartily on the back, like they were sharing some sort of hilarious joke. "I'm sure the rest of the boys will enjoy it. Run along now, I'm sure you're missing out on some much needed beauty sleep."

With a huff of indignation the young woman continued on her way down the street and away from the Arkham City main gates, leaving behind the two Tyger guards; one sniggering and one ever stoic.

"_...Ro-bin,_" Oracle called over the comm, drawing out each syllable of his name as she tried to regain his attention.

"Sorry, Oracle," Robin replied, eyes following the young woman as she disappeared from sight round a building at the end of the street.

"_What was so important that you had to shush me?_"

"There was this gir- young woman," Oracle wouldn't have been too pleased with him for calling someone that age a girl, "at the Arkham City gates. She was arguing with two of the guards, something about Vicki Vale being in Arkham City?"

"_Batman rescued her from her helicopter about an hour ago. Joker shot it down as a distraction. As far as I could tell Vicki got out okay. The pilot wasn't so lucky._"

"Well that's more than the guards out here know. That or they're not willing to share. She looked like she been trying to find out what happened since the helicopter went down." Robin stole a glance back to the end of the street where he had last seen the young woman in question. Surely Batman would be fine without him for another five minutes. "I'm going to try to catch her, let her know Vicki Vale is okay and find out more about her."

"_Want me to run a background check?_" Robin could practically hear Oracle's fingers itching to move across the keyboard of her main computer.

"Don't have a name," Robin replied as he jogged along the rooftop, increasing to a run as he neared the edge of the building before jumping the alley and landing on the building next door. From the rooftops he'd be able to catch up with the young woman in no time, give her the good news and then head back into Arkham City.

"_I can hack into the security feeds and try facial recognition?_"

"Don't worry about it," Robin replied as he leapt towards the fire escape of the corner building, grabbing onto the railing and swinging himself up onto the platform. "I'll get her name when I speak to her."

"_I always thought you were hopeless when it came to women_."

"Not helping, Oracle."

On the roof the building on the corner, Robin surveyed the next street. Searching for a flash of pale skin in the dark, he was surprised when he couldn't find her. It wasn't everyday someone could escape from Robin's watchful eyes.

He was about to give up when he happened to look down. "Well, what do ya know?" he chuckled. While the young woman had left the 'general vicinity' of Arkham City she apparently hadn't given up on her little endeavor. Out of sight of the guards she stood behind the corner of the building, peering back at the main gates from her vantage point.

In her hands she held a small notebook, scribbling away furiously words that Robin couldn't make out from his height. If he were to hazard a guess, whatever she was writing down was probably the beginning of the article she had threatened the two Tyger guards with.

Remembering that he really did need to get this dealt with quickly and get back into Arkham City, Robin swung down from the roof. Using various piping and window ledges he was able scale down the side of the building and drop silently to the ground behind the young woman.

"Those Tyger guards could have been a little more helpfu- whoa!"

There were two things that happened very quickly then. The first was that the young woman whipped around to face him, pulling a small taser out of her bagand thrusting it towards his stomach. The second was Robin deftly grabbing a hold of her wrist before she could actually shock him.

"Hey, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you," Robin said, loosening his hold on wrist enough to let her know he wasn't a threat but not enough to allow her to move the taser any closer. In retrospect he realized sneaking up on her, or on anyone in Gotham really, wasn't the best of ideas. But some habits were hard to shake, and whilst out as Robin sneaking up on people was usually preferable if you didn't want to get shot.

It took the other woman a moment to clam down, subtle emotions flashing across her face that were easily picked up by Robin's observant eyes: fear and shock, followed by realization and, finally, embarrassment.

"I almost tasered you," she gaped.

"But you didn't," Robin reassured her. He gave her what he hoped was a encouraging smile, though it was mostly hidden in the shadows cast onto his face by his hooded cape. "If I let you go you're not going to try and taser me again though, right?"

The young woman seemed almost affronted by the idea. "No, of course not."

"Good." He let go of her wrist completely and watched with wry amusement as she hurriedly shoved the taser back into her bag. "You've got quick reflexes," he said when she finally looked back up at him.

"I guess we're both lucky yours are quicker," she replied, "Tasering one of Gotham's vigilante heroes definitely wouldn't have been one of my proudest moments."

"To be honest, I probably wouldn't have felt much through the suit."

"Really?"

Robin realized his mistake as soon as he saw her eyes light up with that look every journalist gets when they score a piece of information they weren't expecting. It was for this reason exactly that Batman encouraged as little interaction with civilians as possible. If you weren't careful you let things slip. Let too many things slip and they might as well kiss their secret identities goodbye.

"And that's off the record," he quickly added. In true journalistic flair his statement didn't appear to faze her all that much.

"While we're off the record then, care to tell me what exactly that suit is made out of that makes it render tasers useless? You've got me curious."

"No," he answered, deciding to take a leaf out of Batman's book and get straight to the point. "I'm just here to let you know that Vicki Vale is alive and well."

"She is?" The abrupt change in conversation seemed to catch the young woman off guard but her relief at the news was clearly visible. "Wait, how-"

"She was lucky and Batman was nearby. But I have work to do, so if you'll excuse me." He pulled out his grapnel gun and was about to fire it off when he paused, looking back at the young woman. She was watching him curiously, eyes still a little wide it what he assumed was lingering shock. He couldn't help but get the feeling the moment he disappeared she be pulling out that little notebook again. "Who are you exactly? Why the interest in Vicki Vale?"

She answered quickly, like it was a question she was often asked. "I'm Vicki's assistant- protégé, sort of. Tyler, Tyler Morring."

"Tyler Morring," Robin repeated before shooting off the grapnel line at a nearby building, "I'll let Miss Vale know you're waiting for her." Then, in true Batman taught style, he activated the motorized grapnel line and pulled himself up to the rooftops. Now he just had to hope this Tyler Morring would be able to stay out of trouble for the rest of the night. Though, when he thought about it, she'd been pretty quick with that taser. "Only in Gotham," he sighed to himself, swinging across onto another rooftop.

"_Well, that was interesting._"

"You heard all that I take it." He realized too late he should have muted the comm link.

"_Every word. So... Tyler Morring. Want me do that background check or set up a date for next Friday?_"

"Shut up."


	3. Streets of Silence

**Streets of Misfortune**

_**AN:**__ Can I just mention how much fun I have writing Barbara Gordon/Oracle's lines?_

_Also, finally put pen to paper (well, fingers to keys) and wrote up the plan for this fic. If I follow that then this fic will end up with at least 16 chapters. Hope you guys are in this for the long haul :P_

_Thanks go out to everyone who reads/reviews/favorites/alerts this fic. You are all awesome 3_

**Chapter 2: Streets of Silence**

It was quiet, Robin noted. He hated to use a cliché but it was too quiet. In all the times Robin had snuck into Arkham City to make sure there was some semblance of order, because not all the criminals in Arkham deserved to be thrown in with the big fish, it had never been this quiet. Arkham City was, well, a city. It was a city of criminals but a city none-the-less, and that meant a lot of ambient noise. Now though, there was nothing. Nothing but the wind whistling between buildings and the occasional sound of hurried footsteps as someone moved from one hidden location to the other.

The silence wasn't the only thing different about Arkham City on this trip. Protocol Ten had ripped though the prison with devastating force, leaving behind burning buildings and caved in rooftops. The streets below were scattered with human bodies and the debris of destroyed buildings. Most of those who lay dead were criminals, but criminals who still didn't deserve death by way of fiery explosion.

Standing on top of a neon Gotham Casino sign, Robin surveyed the city below. With a loud exhale, which he told himself wasn't a sigh, he tapped his earpiece. "I'm in," he said.

"_Took you long enough."_

"I had to detour back to the storm water tunnel I used to get in the first time. Strange may be dead but the Tyger guards are still patrolling the wall like everything's peachy inside."

"_Well, while you were crawling through sewage -"_

"Storm water," Robin corrected automatically. It was only after he said it that Robin realized Oracle would know the difference between the two and was simply trying to get a rise out of him. "Never mind, continue."

Oracle did continue, like she had never been interrupted in the first place. _"I've got Batman's location. He's on the roof of the old ACE Chemicals building. Has been for the last fifteen minutes as far as I can gather."_

Robin's brow furrowed slightly as he took in the information. "He's not injured, is he?" His hand tightened around the grapnel gun in his hand, ready to move should Oracle answer in the affirmative.

"_No. Well, yes- after the night he's had of course he is- but I don't think he's passed out on the rooftop if that's what you're asking. He's not answering any of my communications though. All I'm getting from Batman is a whole lot of Bat-silence."_

A little of the tension in Robin's shoulders dissipated but he wasn't anywhere near relaxed. He was getting the distinct feeling he _wouldn't_ be able to relax again until both he and Bruce were back at the manor and this whole Arkham City incident was well behind them. "I'm heading over there now. If you want I can let him know the radio silence isn't appreciated?"

"_How very ballsy of you, Robin."_

Robin's sudden laughter came out as a snort.

"_But don't worry about it. Just... just make sure Batman is okay for me? For all of us."_

"I will," Robin promised, picking a mark on a distant building and firing off the grapnel gun.

"_Oh, and I ran your girl's name through my system."_

"Huh?" Robin tugged on the grappling line to make sure it was properly secured.

"_Tyler Morring,"_ Oracle prompted. _"She is who she says she is. That's one less thing you'll have to worry about."_

"Oh, right. That's good." He moved over to the edge of the building. "I'll contact you again after I've spoken with Batman. Robin out." Robin reached up and tapped his earpiece again before pressing a button on his grapnel gun, propelling himself forward over the Arkham City streets.

It was relatively easy for Robin to find Batman among the silence and devastation. He was right where Oracle said he would be. Robin landed lightly on the roof of the ACE Chemicals building behind Batman's shadowed figure but the older man made no acknowledgement of his arrival.

"Batman?"

After what felt like an eternity Batman turned his head ever so slightly, peering back at Robin from the corner of his eye. "I thought I told you to go back to Gotham," he said, voice calm, level, and not betraying any of his current emotions.

"Gotham is fine," Robin insisted, taking a few steps closer, "you're not."

"I'm fine." It was a gruff dismissal of the issue but Robin had spent enough time around the Batman to not be scared off by it.

"If that's true, why have you been ignoring Oracle?"

Batman's answer was resounding silence and it was as much of an admission of problems from Batman as Robin had ever heard or, well, not heard. Biting the bullet he took the last few steps up to Batman's side. After a quick glance at his mentor he raised a hand and pulled back his hood, running his fingers through the short hair he was still not used to. It was a subtle show of exasperation.

"Why are you still here?" Robin tried a different approach to his questioning. "Arkham City is through, Batman's job is done."

Batman frowned, eyes fixed on something in the distance. "Batman's job is never done," he answered. "I still have work to do here."

"Not tonight you don't. Bruce-" Robin was cut off by a sharp glare from the man beside him. "-_Batman_, it's time to put away the cowl for tonight. I can cover things from here."

"You should be in Gotham," Batman said again, "where I told you to be."

"You _knew_ I could have been more help here. Why'd you send me away before?"

"Arkham City was a job for Batman."

"And I thought Batman and Robin were supposed to be partners," Robin said, raising an eyebrow behind his domino mask.

"People died tonight, Robin."

"Which is all the more reason for me to be here now."

"When did you start ignoring my direct orders?"

"Since Oracle started telling me just what was transpiring tonight while you had me running around completing a pointless errand."

Batman scowled. "It wasn't pointless."

"Yes it was," Robin snapped, "and you knew it was. Not even with all the technology in the Batcave could we have synthesized enough of the antidote in time to save those people."

"Which is exactly why I didn't need any more people inside Arkham City getting infected. Too many people died here tonight."

Some of Robin's anger left him at this confession, a heavily veiled '_I was trying to keep you safe' _evident in the older man's words. "Batman, I'm really sorry about everything that happened." Robin was smart enough to know his condolences wouldn't fix anything but he felt the need to say something. After another moment of silence he placed his gauntleted hand on Batman's shoulder, a show of solidarity.

"I could have saved him," Batman said quietly, almost to the point where Robin couldn't hear it. And then two things clicked.

"Wait, is this about the _Joker_?"

Batman shrugged Robin's hand off his shoulder and stalked back to the pod the Batsuit had arrived in, now it just contained his civilian clothes. "Go home, Robin."

Robin had no intention of leaving, not yet anyway. "The Joker is dead, that's a good thing Batman."

"Is it?" Batman asked, turning to face Robin as he began removing the gauntlets of his own suit. At least Robin had convinced him to leave Batman behind for the night. That was a start. This new line of conversation, however, was troubling.

"With the Joker gone the people of Gotham will be a lot safer when they go to sleep tonight," Robin insisted. "That's a _good_ thing."

"When I started this I made a vow that I wouldn't kill anyone. I would never sink to their level." Batman stilled, before throwing his gauntlets roughly into the capsule. "Tonight I did."

"If anyone is responsible for the Joker's death it's himself." Robin stepped up to Batman – or was it Bruce now? – and skirted skillfully back into his line of sight where it was harder to be ignored. "You did everything you could tonight."

"And it wasn't enough."

It was then that Robin decided it was futile to pursue the issue. If Bruce wanted to brood, fine. He could always enlist Alfred's help later to try and talk some sense into his mentor.

Bruce was almost completely changed back into the suit he had been wearing when he was taken into Arkham earlier that evening. Robin figured now was the time to bring up the topic of those left in Arkham who didn't belong there.

"I was talking to a, uh... reporter's assistant or something outside. She mentioned a few civilians might still be stuck in here." At Bruce's grunt Robin continued. "I don't know how long it's going to take the GCPD to get in but it could still be a while yet. Batman may be out for the rest of the night but Robin could help them get out of here. Or at least somewhere safer than the middle of a maximum security prison city."

As Robin waited for an answer he watched as Bruce re-did his tie, sliding the knot up to his collar, before loosening it to look more haphazard. The rest of his outfit was already sufficiently scuffed and it was only after he pulled on the suit jacket that Bruce answered Robin.

"Vicki Vale, Quincy Sharp, Jack Ryder, and a number of medical and security staff are holed up in the church," Bruce explained. He then reached back into the capsule holding the rather battered Batsuit and retrieved the REC Gun he had put together earlier that night. He handed it to Robin. "Use this to get past the security door and into the church. They'll be expecting me so don't be surprised if they're a little jumpy when they notice it's someone else. Still, they shouldn't attack you straight out."

Had these words been from anyone else they might have been a joke but, well, _Batman_.

"Will I be seeing you back home at all tonight?" Robin asked, securing the REC Gun to his own belt.

"I came in as Bruce Wayne so I need to leave as Bruce Wayne," Bruce reminded him.

"And since as far as anyone knows Bruce Wayne can't break out of a prison he'll have to get rescued like all the other political prisoners. I get it." Robin moved towards the edge of the building, unhooking his grapnel gun from his belt. "Will I be seeing you at the church then?"

"No."

Robin raised his eyebrows as he pulled the hood on his cape back up. "No?"

"The Riddler had a group of hostages hidden away. Aaron Cash and a few other security and medical personnel. I think Bruce Wayne will get lucky when he stumbles across them later." With a final nod and "be careful," Bruce swung down over the ledge of the building. Robin listened to the shuffling of Bruce's feet growing fainter as he moved farther down the building and closer to street level.

With a shake of his head, Robin fired the grapnel gun at a gargoyle on a building across the street. He checked the line and tapped his earpiece before swinging off the top of the ACE Chemicals building.

"Oracle?"

"_Loud and clear, Boy Wonder."_

"Bruce is fine. Well, physically at least."

Oracle's sigh of relief filtered through the comm link as quiet static. _"Thank God."_

"There's something wrong though," Robin added after firing off the grapple again. "Something I can't put my finger on."

"_He's had a rough night, Tim."_ Barbara was the only one of their Batfamily who could get away with calling them by their civilian names when they were suited up. Well, Dick could to some extent but never when he was working with Batman. _"Bruce is just being, well, Bruce. Let him brood for a while, let him process. People deal with grief in different ways. Bruce may deal with things a little unconventionally but you need to trust him to work things out on his own."_

"I don't know Babs."

"_Are you trying to out brood the brooding master right now? Because you're good, Tim, but you aren't that good. You're not here to solve his problems, Bruce is a grown man."_

Robin chuckled as he dropped into the street running in front of the church. "Who dresses up like a bat at night."

"_You can't talk, mister."_

"Touché."

Standing in the middle of the street, Robin still found it odd that there was quiet all around. He wouldn't say he wasn't grateful that there wasn't a thug trying to beat his head in with a metal pipe but it was still weird. "Well, I'm at the church. Could you-" there was a pause and a grunt as Robin clambered up and over the gate "-let Alfred know what's happening? I think Batman's maintaining radio silence for the rest of the night."

"_Will do Robin. Good luck. Oracle out."_


End file.
